We had our summer garden party today (courtesy of Kate and Nick) and bid our sad farewell to Rupert. We hope he enjoys his gifts, a beautiful leather bound note book, a folder of the posters of all our concerts under his direction and a framed wordle with words and memories of our time with him.
Rupert joined us ten years ago and in that time we have developed enormously as an ensemble under his careful guidance and musical leadership. He has always challenged us and pushed us to perform material that enhances our skills. His supportive and expressive style has allowed us all to grow as musicians, individually and as a group, and in particular to become much more confident in tackling challenging repertoire. There have been very many highlights, from making the foundations of Southwark Cathedral shake in Verdi Requiem, and of course that time we lost him (or did he lose us?) on a beach in Normandy, or perhaps singing to one man and his dog on the beach in Ireland. (For a landlocked choir, we seem to sing by the sea surprisingly often.) But probably what we will remember most fondly is his sense of humour during rehearsals, his endless patience and quiet laughter and his ability to find the positive in every occasion and every duff line of music.
Thank you for everything Rupert and we hope you will keep in touch with us!
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